Albert Bell has taught at Hope since 1978. His research interests focus on ancient Rome in the first century A. D. and on the life and work of Pliny the Younger.

In addition to articles and stories, Bell has published two children's historical mysteries. The first, The Secret of the Lonely Grave (2007) connects contemporary children with the Underground Rail­road and the Civil War era in southern Kentucky. The book won the 2008 Evelyn Thurman Young Readers Award, given by the Western Kentucky University Libraries, and a silver medal from the Mom’s Choice Awards. The second in the series, The Secret of the Bradford House, was published in April 2010.

Bell is also the author of a series of mysteries set in ancient
Rome, featuring Pliny the Younger. The first in the series, All Roads Lead
to Murder (2002), was called “one of the best antiquarian murder mysteries
published to date.” The second book in the series, The Blood of Caesar (2008),
was named one of the 5 Best Mysteries of 2008 by Library Journal. http://www.pliny-mysteries.com.
A contemporary mystery, Death Goes Dutch, was published
in 2006. A reviewer dubbed
it “a gem.” The third book, The Corpus Conundrum, will come
out in 2011.

Bell has also published two non-fiction books. His Exploring the New Testament World (Thomas Nelson 1998) was called “a must-have New Testament companion.” His Perfect Game, Imperfect Lives: A Memoir Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Don Larsen’s Perfect Game, (Ingalls 2006) has been called “a book with perfect pitch.”

A lot of Dr. Bell's research is for background to his novels, which have been called "outstandingly researched." He is working on an article on the concept of "friendship" in ancient Rome in light of the notion of "friending" people today.

Publications

Essays in Great Lives from History: The Incredibly Wealthy.
Salem Press, 2011.